Building Responsible AI: Innovation, Leadership, and the One-Pizza Team with Jamie Atchison

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Jamie Atchison, MSMIT, Senior Director of Innovation and Strategy at the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Jamie shares her unique journey from public health programming into technology leadership, highlighting how she bridges business needs and digital innovation within her organization.We explore ASPPH’s groundbreaking AI chatbot, built in just eight weeks, and the intentional, human-centered approach behind it. Jamie dives into how associations can responsibly adopt AI, the importance of curated and trusted content, and how vertical AI models can combat misinformation in complex fields like public health.The conversation also covers leadership philosophy, including servant leadership, psychological safety, and building high-performing “one-pizza teams” that can move quickly without losing alignment. Jamie offers a forward-looking perspective on how AI and agentic AI will reshape associations, emphasizing augmentation over replacement and the need for strong critical thinking in an AI-driven world.00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:01 Rapid Fire Questions02:00 Jamie’s Career Journey and Path into Technology05:00 Transition from Program Work to Digital Innovation Leadership07:00 Building High-Performing “One-Pizza Teams”09:00 Inside the AI Chatbot Project (8-Week Build)12:00 Team Structure, AWS Partnership, and Knowledge Transfer13:00 From Problem to Solution: Why a Chatbot?14:30 Responsible and Ethical AI in Public Health17:00 Guardrails, Curated Content, and Vertical AI Models18:00 Data Considerations and Content Strategy20:00 Member Feedback and Adoption of AI Tools21:30 Human-Centered Design vs. Over-Reliance on AI23:00 Broader AI Strategy and Task Force Initiatives26:00 Building a Digital Innovation Team in Associations29:00 Bridging Business Strategy and Technology Execution32:00 Future Trends: AI, Agentic AI, and Workforce Impact36:00 Servant Leadership and Building Trust in Teams39:00 Culture, Collaboration, and Crisis Response in Tech Teams40:00 AWTC Recognition and Team Success42:00 Aligning Personal Values with Organizational Mission44:00 Where to Learn More About ASPPH’s AI Initiatives